Brain Meets Brawn: An Alternate Ending
by darkdemondog24
Summary: Brain turns himself into a terrifying monster in yet another attempt to take over the world, but when Pinky's life is threatened by the beast's uncontrollable urge to kill, Brain has to make a decision between the world or his best friend.
1. Chapter 1

**This is my alternate take on one of my favorite Animaniacs segments, Brain Meets Brawn. You might have to watch the episode if you haven't already to get it. Whenever I watched this episode I always had another idea in mind; What if Brain's concern for Pinky was overpowering his urge to take over the world? And thus, this two-part fic was born! Enjoy! **

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"Egad, Dr. Jekyll has turned himself into that fearsome Mr. Hyde again, Brain!"

"Yes, if only I could find a way to use that savage strength…"

The setting was 1885 in the heart of England, where two mice were sitting in their cage as they viewed a spectacle unfold before their eyes. Dr. Jekyll, a mad scientist who had concocted a potion that could transform him into a hideous, malicious monster for short intervals of time, was again in his 'Mr. Hyde' form. Having lived with the mad doctor for years, the rodents had witnessed this transformation many times before, and it intrigued Brain. As the police barged in and dragged the raving scientist away to prison, the large headed mouse sat in his cage and pondered how such tremendous strength and size could benefit him in conquering the world.

Suddenly, an idea dawned on him. "Pinky, are you pondering what I'm pondering?"

"I think so Brain, but if they called them Sad Meals then kids wouldn't buy them!" his dimwitted cagemate answered. In response to his less-than-intelligent blabbering, Brain grabbed either side of Pinky's face and shook him, hoping to perhaps jog some sort of coherent thought from his empty noggin. "Hello in there, Pinky!" he said, then released the taller mouse from his grip in hopes to get his ideas back on track.

Brain proceeded to explain his brilliant new plan, which involved the British's obsession with tea time—a period in the day that started at 4:00 where everyone in England would sit for a few minutes, drop everything they were previously doing, and have a cup of tea. It was a happy, serine period of relief to the lives of the people who took part in it, but to Brain it was a weakness that would eventually lead to the downfall of England, and then the world! His plan was simple, if he could stop Big Ben at precisely 4:00, then everyone would be forced to have tea time forever, and he could take over the country in a heartbeat. It was foolproof, with the exception of one tiny detail, which Pinky pointed out instantly after Brain explained his plan.

"Egad Brain, brilliant!" the mouse cried in ecstasy, before reconsidering his enthusiasm. "Wait, no, no…you'd have to be a hulking muscular giant to stop that clock Brain!"

"Exactly, Pinky." he answered, already climbing up to the top of the flask that held the oozing green liquid that their mad scientist owner had brewed. Fortunately, the shorter mouse had already considered this, and this was where Dr. Jekyll's formula kicked in. Just a few drops of the potion would transform Brain into an enormous, bumbling monster! No longer would he be just a puny, insignificant lab mouse, he would have more than enough strength to stop the gears of Big Ben and carry out his plan! "As they say in rustic circles, bottoms up!" Brain said as he dunked a small thimble into the liquid and guzzled it down without hesitation.

As he climbed down from the flask, he tried hard to concentrate on his body, and if he were feeling any different, but nothing seemed to have changed. He examined himself all over, but he looked the same too. Had the formula not worked at all, or did it just take a while for the full effects to kick in? Befuddled by this, he glanced at Pinky, who's bright blue eyes were shining curiously at him, with the slightest hint of concern in his expression as he proceeded to study Brain as well.

"Is it working Brain? Any changes? You tingling, itching, feeling anything? Do you do you do you?" Pinky asked incessantly, prancing around Brain irritatingly as he probed for an answer.

Pinky's annoying questions, like usual, were angering Brain to the extent that he felt the need to hit him over the head to temporarily subdue his aggravating questioning. However, though the feeling of anger towards his annoying companion came frequently and unexpectedly, this time it was different. Not only did Brain feel the urge to give Pinky a sharp blow to the head—he actually had the sudden desire to cause him serious harm. The thought had never crossed his mind before, and he tried with all his might to suppress it, but a ball of pure hatred was forming in the pit of his stomach, and Brain couldn't hold back his temper anymore. His body started tingling all over, and his ears were ringing as the small mouse trembled uncontrollably from head to toe. His stomach was churning like a rollercoaster, and he felt like he was going to throw up, pass out and explode with sheer rage all at once! Pinky detected Brain's discomfort instantly, and backed away in fright as his friend jittered, sputtered, twitched and spun around spontaneously. Then Brain began to grow. He felt his muscles expand and contract inside of him, and like an outward explosion his bones stretched and cracked, causing him momentary agony as his insides rearranged and he started to grow. All at once, he grew almost six feet in height, resembling more of a deranged gorilla than a mouse, and his fur turned a sickening bright green. Not only was he experiencing changes in his appearance, Brain noticed that he didn't feel quite himself mentally either. The longer he stayed in this form, the more rational thought he seemed to lose, and the transformed mouse was no longer able to control himself. He wasn't running on wits anymore, but merely pure anger, and with all that muscle power, he was not only big, but dangerous as well!

Some instinct deep inside Pinky's mind told him that Brain wasn't safe to be around in this state, and as the horrifying transformation took place before his eyes, he found himself backing up against the wall, away from the terrifying beast that was no longer his best friend. Brain noticed this, and when his large, bloodshot red eyes locked onto the trembling mouse in the corner, the overwhelming feeling of fury coursed through his veins once more. Just looking at Pinky filled him with so much rage that he contemplated tearing the small, helpless rodent limb-from-limb, or slamming him through the concrete walls, or perhaps even stomping his weak little body into the floor! The thought of seeing the mouse flail around like a rag doll as he was torn to bits actually pleasured Brain, and though there was a tiny voice in the back of his mind trying to reason with the beast inside of him, he couldn't control the urge, and lifted a wooden table with ease, intent on smashing Pinky over the head with it and cracking every bone in his body!

"Ah! I'm sorry I angered you Brain!" Pinky cried as he braced himself for the immense pain that was about to befall him.

Like turning off a switch, Pinky's frantic apology triggered some chain reaction inside the green monster, and Brain froze. He gagged for a moment, feeling the horrible pain of more rapid changes inside his body, and suddenly everything inside him contracted and shrunk until he was back to his normal size once more. The table that he had been holding was no longer being supported, and fell to the floor, landing on top of the big-headed mouse and crushing him underneath. Pinky hurried over to the flattened mouse and pulled him out from under the table, checking to see if he was hurt in any way. Luckily, Brain hadn't sustained any damage, besides a few bruises, but as he stumbled dizzily over to his companion, he realized he had a splitting headache.

"Egad Brain, it worked!" Pinky exclaimed, but that fact was the last thing on Brain's mind, for as he unscrambled his thoughts a terrible realization dawned on him.

The formula's effects hadn't kicked in until Pinky made him angry. Brain could clearly recall the feeling of pure rage growing inside him that he had never felt before, followed by the unbearable internal pain as the rest of his body expanded. By then, his mind had been too primitive for him to realize the malevolent effects the potion had on his thoughts, but now that he was able to rationalize again, he remembered the terrible impulses that he had almost acted upon, and was disgusted with himself! For the first time in his short life, not only had he wanted to bop his companion over the head, he actually contemplated _killing _him!

Awestruck, Brain began to tremble and started feeling dizzy again—not as if he was undergoing the transformation from mouse to beast once more, he was just sickeningly terrified by what the formula had done to him. Although he rarely admitted his feelings for Pinky, there was no doubt that Brain cared about his well-being immensely, and if he somehow found himself at fault for his friend's demise all because of a stupid plot to take over the world, well, he'd certainly never forgive himself!

"Poit…are you alright Brain?" Pinky asked the dazed mouse.

Brain shook off his fears as he snapped back into reality, but was still anxious as he continued to ponder the horrible outcome that this transformation could have. "I'm fine." he lied, continuing to let his mind wander. This would be his chance to finally take over the world, yet if he turned into the green beast again, he wasn't sure how long he could hold himself back without causing his friend harm—or even murdering him. He gulped back the thought, and tried to come up with a way to control it. It was certainly Pinky getting him angry that triggered the potion, but what had turned him back to normal?

Brain snapped his fingers. "That's it! Pinky, when you got me angry, the formula took effect, and when you apologized, I turned back to my normal self!"

"Naaaaarf." Pinky said in awe.

Though he detested the idea of turning back into that foul beast, Brain decided that he needed to test his theory once more, just to make sure he was right. "Pinky, make me angry!" he ordered reluctantly.

"Zounds Brain, I don't want to make you angry…" Pinky said, his voice small and vulnerable-sounding. Brain quickly picked up on the fear embedded in his companion's bright blue eyes, and almost wanted to forget the whole thing. Not only did he almost seriously hurt his friend, he was also scaring the living daylights out of him, which is the last thing he wanted to do. But if it was going to aid him in taking over the world, wasn't a little bit of fear a small price to pay? Becoming perplexed by his contrasting emotions, he shook his head and was once again determined to test the formula's effects, even if it meant terrifying Pinky again.

"I don't care! Make me angry!" he ordered again, grabbing Pinky by the snout and pulling him down to eye level.

"But you're gonna bop me!" the taller mouse protested. Brain's ears drooped behind his head, for he feared he would do much more than bop Pinky if he could get his beefy green hands on him in that state. When a tingling sensation pulsed through every inch of his body though, he realized it was too late to back down, for Pinky had unintentionally triggered his terrible temper.

Once again, Brain's body was stretched, pulled, and contracted in all different directions until his size and strength was equivalent to that of a mad gorilla on steroids. As his size grew exponentially, his rational thoughts decreased, and soon Brain was back in a state of absolutely no self-control. He reached down and grabbed his petrified companion in his paws, beginning to squeeze him. As Brain's thoughts raced, he imagined squashing the small mouse until he popped like a pimple between his hands, and began to squeeze even harder. This time, the voice in the back of his mind telling him to stop his impulsive behavior was even weaker, and his fingers curled around his victim's body until Pinky had no air left in his lungs.

"Brain…I'm…" he managed to gasp out between the short breathes that he could take. Pinky quickly felt his ribcage collapsing, and his entire body was in extreme pain as Brain squished him tighter and tighter, with a sickeningly delighted grin on his monstrous green face. "I'm sorry!" Pinky finally managed to choke out, and in an instant Brain stopped what he was doing, froze for a mere instant, and shrunk back to his original size once more, landing on the floor with a thud. Pinky landed on the ground as well just a few feet away, gasping and wheezing as his lungs burned for fresh air.

When Brain finally picked himself up and was brought back to reality, he felt overwhelming grief for the damage he had done. He had gotten even closer to killing Pinky than the last time! He rushed over to his friend's side to see if he was alright, but to his dismay and confusion, Pinky scuttled away from him.

"D-don't come near me!" he pleaded, his chest rising and falling at an inconstant rate as he still struggled for air. Brain noticed that Pinky had an arm wrapped around his torso, and was fidgeting in obvious pain.

"Pinky, are you hurt?" he asked, trying a second time to get close to him, with the same results as the injured mouse backed away further.

"No! Stay away!" Pinky cried, pausing to cringe in pain for a moment before continuing. "Narf! You're just going to turn into the big scary monster and try to hurt me again!"

"I'm sorry, I…" Brain started, automatically feeling shameful for treating Pinky so horribly. Even if he was unable to control himself when the formula kicked in, he still couldn't believe that the thought of severely hurting him had even crossed his mind, and he felt extremely guilty for causing Pinky harm. "Let me see where you're hurt, I promise I won't turn into the big scary monster again!" he tried to convince him.

Pinky sniffled and wiped tears from his eyes, not seeming any less terrified or any more willing to let Brain near him, but due to the pain of his shattered rib cage he could no longer muster the strength to back away from him, so he doubled over in pain on the floor and waited to be smashed to bits by the beast again. Brain darted to Pinky's side as soon as he noticed how much agony he was in, and in an attempt to calm him down, ran his fingers down Pinky's spine, stroking his fur reassuringly to let the pained mouse know that he wasn't in any danger. The injured mouse looked up at him, still holding his midsection tightly, but seemed slightly more at ease in his presence.

"Can you tell me where it hurts?" Brain asked with concern.

"In…in my tummy…" Pinky told him, pointing to his chest and sniffling again.

"Pinky that's not your tummy, that's your chest." the smarter mouse corrected, but was barely able to sound irritated at Pinky's idiocy at the moment, since the seriousness of his injuries was the only thing concerning him. "You probably have a broken ribcage."

"Can…c-can you fix it?" the hurt mouse asked in a pleading tone as he suppressed the cry of pain that was itching to escape him.

"I can wrap it up for now to keep you from hurting yourself further, but I'm afraid the bones will take some time to heal on their own." Brain told him. "Do you think you can walk back to the cage?"

Slowly releasing his arms from his chest, Pinky gradually and carefully pulled himself up to his feet, with some assistance from Brain. He could stand on his legs, but he remained still rather than trying to walk, for he could tell by the wobbliness in his legs that he wouldn't stay standing for long if he tried to move his feet. Suddenly, Pinky's knees buckled and he fell back down to the ground, unable to hold back the yelp of pain this time as his broken bones shifted painfully. Brain felt his heart sink as he watched his friend struggle, tears leaking from his eyes from the agony that he had never experienced before. Obviously Pinky wouldn't be able to walk, and the only other way to get him back to the cage in one piece was to carry him there, as much as Brain disliked the idea. His bones and muscles were already sore from changing from mouse to beast so many times in one day, but he managed to muster up enough strength to tuck his arms under Pinky and lift him up bridal-style, wrapping his broken body securely in his grasp as he stumbled to the cage. The pained mouse in his arms involuntarily nuzzled into Brain's chest, seeking any sort of comfort to distract him from the agony that he was enduring.

Once they were back inside the metal bars of their small home, Brain placed his companion inside their tiny matchbox bed filled with wood chips, ordering him to keep still. The latter obeyed, whimpering to himself as Brain exited the cage and dug around the cupboards of Dr. Jekyll's house for something he could use to wrap up Pinky's chest. He returned with a roll of gauze, and tried to wrap Pinky's body, only to have his friend flinch away and cry out when Brain so much as nudged his chest.

"You need to hold still if you want me to help you!" Brain ordered.

"B-but it hurts!" Pinky stammered.

"Well if you want it to stop hurting, you need to stay still!"

He began to tremble and fidget again, not allowing Brain to access the damaged area in his chest. "Bu-but…"

Brain scowled at his companion's inability to cooperate, and in an instant felt the tingling feeling wash over him again as his anger escalated. As soon as he realized what was happening, he knew that if he were to turn back into that monster while in their cage, he wouldn't be able to fit! The metal cage would crack to pieces and Pinky would be crushed! Brain was already beginning to feel his body expand as he rushed out of their cage and immediately locked the door, trying to get as far away from Pinky as his puny legs would allow him to run. However, he wasn't able to get very far, for the final changes occurred within seconds, and once again he was an enormous, bumbling green monster with a bad temper.

Despite his relentless attempts to fight back the foul beast inside him, just like the last two times, his rational thinking was overcome with primitive, barbaric instinct. He turned back towards the cage immediately, eyes landing on the small white ball of fur that was backing up as far as he could until his body was pressed against the metal bars. Brain—no, it wasn't Brain anymore, it was the ferocious beast within that was having these sort of thoughts—longed to see the other mouse's pain, and hopped down from the countertop, approaching the cage with a devious smirk.

Pinky was quivering from head to toe, caught between clasping his ribcage in agony or running as far away from the oncoming threat as his crippled body would allow. However, he could do neither, and remained frozen in place, besides his trembling. His obvious fear was just another source of adrenaline for Brain to feed off of, and he suddenly lifted the cage in his hands with ease, staring at Pinky to further invoke the smaller mouse's discomfort. He gave the cage a little shake, which was enough to throw Pinky to the metal floor. Scrambling back to his feet, the mouse clutched the bars of the cage for dear life to brace himself for more shaking, an expression of sheer terror and pain plastered across his face. He knew the magic words that would transform his friend back, but he was so encompassed in pain and fear that he couldn't even make a sound.

Smiling widely, the green-furred beast rattled the cage again, not holding back this time. He had intentions to break everything in the small mouse's body as he thrashed the cage back and forth, sending Pinky flying against the walls like a rag doll. The trapped mouse struggled to keep his footing, or grab onto something to keep steady, but every time he tried he was just flung back down to the floor as his home was shaken violently by Brain. His ribs sent sharp flashes of pain through his entire body, causing tears to leak from his bright blue eyes, and he was no longer able to contain the pained yelps that had been desperately trying to escape him.

When he turned his head up to face Brain, he was met with a very pleased, blood-thirsty gleam in his friend's eyes, and something suddenly clicked inside his head that told him the beast wasn't going to show him a bit of mercy, and wouldn't stop hurting him until he perished. Pinky opened his mouth and tried to choke out the words that would make everything stop, but there was a lump in his throat preventing him from doing so. He forced it back and was eventually able to mutter, almost inaudibly, a quiet apology.

"I-I'm…s-sorry!"

In a flash, the green giant had disappeared, and the tiny white lab mouse that took its place was sent tumbling to the floor. Brain landed painfully on his back, but was able to pick himself up off the ground. However, when his ears were met with the crash of the metal cage landing back down on the counter, and the blood-curdling cry of his companion hitting the metal floor, he began to panic as he recalled the amount of damage he had done. In an instant, Brain scaled the counter, using the slightly opened drawers as a staircase on his way up, and darted back to the cage—where Pinky was lying, bruised and battered on the floor, unable to move due to the crushing agony that was overwhelming his small body.

"Pinky!" Brain shrieked, automatically scurrying to his side. This time, Pinky made no effort to move away, probably because he couldn't if he tried. "Oh no…what have I done?" the larger headed mouse asked himself as he circled his fallen friend, unsure if he should touch him at all, for fear he would just cause him more suffering.

"…Narf…"

Even though it was a short, meaningless syllable, it comforted Brain to some extent after hearing his friend utter the nonsensical word. At least he was still conscious—and still alive, for that matter. After being thrashed back and forth so harshly against the cage, he was surprised the impact hadn't killed him! "Can you hear me Pinky?" he asked.

Gradually, two blue eyes blinked open, and he moved his head ever so slightly, as if he were trying to nod but couldn't muster the energy necessary. His body was contorted in an unnatural way—he was lying on his stomach, limbs bent at odd angles. Brain highly doubted he would be able to sit himself up, yet he asked anyways.

To his amazement though, the injured mouse's arms twitched, and he slowly moved them underneath him, using them to push himself up off the ground into a sitting position. His legs didn't seem as twisted anymore as he sat upright, so overall Pinky didn't seem like such a broken mess anymore, but his pained grimace still concerned Brain. The smaller mouse took hold of his friend's paws, keeping him steady as he tried to get him to speak.

"Where does it hurt?" Brain asked, his tone like that of a concerned mother as he stared into Pinky's tearful eyes, waiting for an answer.

"In…in my…" The mouse paused, not because of pain this time, but because he actually stopped to ponder the correct term that Brain had used earlier. "In my ribcage."

Brain raised an eyebrow. "That's it?" Surely he must have sustained much more damage than just in his already-broken ribs after being tossed around like that.

Pinky nodded, stifling more tears. Brain tried his best to soothe his companion's discomfort by rubbing the backs of his paws in his. "It'll be alright, Pinky. I'll wrap you up right away so that your bones can heal. You'll be better in no time." he reassured, expecting his friend to calm down and allow him to continue wrapping his chest in gauze. However, Pinky's reaction wasn't anything like what he had expected. The slimmer mouse tore his hands away from Brain's, and like before, he looked petrified of his own best friend—only this time, not only did he seem frightened from the initial shock of almost being killed, he actually looked distrustful.

"Why would you do that to me?" he asked so plainly, so sternly, so un-Pinky like that it sent shivers up Brain's spine.

"I—I didn't mean to!" Brain sputtered. "I would never hurt you intentionally!"

"But you said you'd never turn into that b-big scary monster again! Y-you promised! And you lied to me!" Pinky was crying now as he spoke, and Brain was feeling miserable at the sight of it. He had unintentionally caused his best friend severe physical and emotional harm, and had even driven Pinky, his loyal companion, into losing all trust in him. Brain felt his stomach lurch in disgust with himself—he felt like a monster!

He quickly shook his head at his own thoughts. No, _he _wasn't the monster, it was that formula that was the culprit! Brain wouldn't even think about hurting Pinky, yet when that horrible green beast took over his body, he was powerless against his own violent compulsions.

"Pinky, I'm sorry." he apologized quickly. "It was the 'big scary monster' that was trying to hurt you, not me." he told him, using his dimwitted companion's terminology. "It was controlling me like a puppet!"

The other mouse sniffled. "A…puppet?"

"Yes." Brain told him calmly, daring to move closer to his frightened friend as he began to calm down. "I had absolutely no control over my actions, I assure you that if I could have controlled it, I would have."

Pinky's curious blue eyes lightened up slightly as he wiped the remaining tears from his furry cheeks. "I like puppets! But not like that. That puppet was big and green and nasty, and tried to hurt me a lot. I thought it was scary—like a clown, clowns are really scary, poit!"

His pointless rambling was quite annoying, but Brain almost felt comfort in listening to it, since it signaled that Pinky was already sounding like his old self again. Still, he had to subdue the involuntary urge to bop him over the head, for he feared getting himself even the slightest bit angry again would trigger the effects of the formula. Instead, he chose to take the advantage that Pinky was calmed down, and attempted to wrap up his injuries again.

Brain grabbed the gauze and told Pinky to hold still. The latter began to flinch away at first, but one look at the warning scowl on Brain's face and he instantly cooperated, considering he didn't want his friend to go berserk with anger again. After a few minutes of uncomfortable fidgeting and whimpering as the gauze was wrapped around his collapsed ribs, Pinky was feeling slightly better, and admired the white bandages as if they were a new fashion icon.

"Oooh! I look like a mummy Brain! Troz!" he exclaimed, giggling slightly at this realization. Brain's lips almost curled up into a smile to see that his friend was happy once more, and surely not feeling as much pain as earlier.

"Yes, the gauze should hold the broken bones in place so that they'll heal faster." he placed a finger to his chin thoughtfully as he observed Pinky. "Does it still hurt?"

"Hmm, well, sorta." Pinky answered. He experimentally tried to stand up, but his legs were too wobbly for him to remain standing for more than a few seconds, and he fell back down into a sitting position on the floor again.

"Well, you obviously won't be going anywhere for the time being." Brain pointed out.

"But what about our plan to take over the world?" Pinky asked, a hint of worry in his tone at the thought of not being able to assist his friend in their nightly routine.

The shorter mouse marveled at the fact that Pinky was more concerned about the world than his own health, while for Brain the opposite was true. Still, he considered if he should still go through with his plan or not, even with Pinky hurt. He couldn't leave him behind, since the other mouse played an important role in his plan, yet Pinky was already injured because of this particular scheme, and the last thing Brain wanted was for anything to happen to him while his ribs were still broken. The thing that was _really _holding Brain back was the fact that if he wanted his plan to be fulfilled, he required Pinky to make him angry again, which at this point was basically a death wish on his best friend. Would he be able to control himself, even if they made it to Big Ben? He shuddered at the thought of sacrificing Pinky's life just to take over the world. Even though his violent outbursts were out of his own control, Brain would still hold himself responsible for any damage done, since he was the one who decided to drink that formula in the first place.

"Brain?"

The distraught mouse shook himself from his trance-like state and turned to face Pinky. "What?"

"Well I asked you a question but you never answered. You just stood there making really scrunchy faces, and then your eyes got all wide and you were staring off into nothingness! Narf!" he explained as he tried to mimic Brain's expression.

Brain only rolled his eyes at Pinky's insightful description. "I was only pondering your question." he said. "Frankly, I'm not entirely certain that taking over the world tomorrow would be a good idea, especially considering your current state of health."

At that, Pinky looked disappointed. "But Braaaain!" he pleaded, to which Brain held up a paw to silence his beseeching.

"If you seem better by tomorrow morning, then I'll consider it." he told him. "For now, you really need some rest, a good night's sleep should heal those bones a little faster."

"Okay." Pinky agreed, and with assistance from Brain, he managed to stumble to his bed, whimpering slightly at the increased pressure on his ribs at even the slightest movement. Brain carefully laid his companion down in their little matchbox bed, extra cautious not to jostle his broken midsection. He placed a blanket over him, which Pinky snuggled into contently.

Figuring he would go right to sleep, Brain crept away from their bed to the other side of the cage so that he could work on the set of blueprints he would need for tomorrow's plan, but stopped midstride when Pinky called him back over.

"Brain, wait!"

"What?" the shorter mouse asked, turning back around.

"Won't you stay with me? Please?" Pinky asked so subtly that it made it hard for Brain to refuse. He knew he had to work hard if he wanted to finish the blueprints by tomorrow, but after all Pinky's been through because of him, he figured he at least owed him some attention.

"Well, alright." Brain agreed, climbing over to the other side of their bed and nestling beside Pinky. Ignoring how much his ribs ached, the slimmer mouse rolled over to face Brain and rested his head on his chest, curling his body around him until he was comfortable. The other mouse wasn't surprised by this behavior, since Pinky often cuddled up to him during the night, yet this time he decided against shoving his pesky companion away like he typically would. Instead, he absentmindedly stroked the top of Pinky's head and let his mind wander.

"Brain?"

"Yes Pinky?"

Pinky turned his head slightly to look up at Brain, and when the latter caught a glimpse of his expression, he was caught off guard by how mortified he suddenly looked. "Well, I was wondering…" Pinky continued, his eyebrows furrowed and his mouth turned into a perplexed frown. "What if you have a bad dream while you're sleeping and you turn into that scary monster again?"

Not expecting a question like that, Brain just stared at Pinky, unsure of what to say. He pulled his hand away from Pinky's head for a moment, bringing it to his chin in thought. If that did happen, then he would either crush Pinky's body against the side of the cage, or break the cage apart—and eventually crush him anyways. Neither mouse would be even slightly aware of what he was doing if they were both half-awake, and therefore Pinky wouldn't have time to apologize, and probably wouldn't last more than a few seconds against Brain's savage strength. He quickly shook his head, not liking the way his thoughts were headed. Of course that would never happen, it was just a foolish question.

Pinky was as serious as ever though, and Brain hated seeing him this upset about anything—as rare as that may occur. He was obviously still scared out of his mind to even be around Brain deep down, even though his eternal loyalty towards his best friend was overcoming his initial fear. Still, Brain rested his hand back atop Pinky's head, stroking all the way down to his back and pulling him closer in an attempt to soothe away his irrational fears.

"That wouldn't happen, Pinky, it's just preposterous. To be distorted into that horrid beast again, I would have to become angry during the REM stages of my slumber, and I'm rarely angry in my dreams." he told him.

"Why not?"

"Well…" Brain paused, and thought for a moment, before smiling at Pinky and nestling his chin on his head. "Because being in proximity to you makes me feel too…content for me to be prone to such unwelcome emotions such as anger."

"What?" the simpleton asked, confused. "Your big jumbly swirly whirly words befuddled me, Brain!"

Sighing, Brain proceeded to explain his thoughts in a way that Pinky could understand. "As long as you're around, my dreams will be happy." he said, aware of his cheeks flushing red after admitting such feelings. It was only to make Pinky happy though, of course—The Brain would never stoop so low as to feel such childish things for his cagemate. Pinky seemed pleased with his words, however, and nuzzled into him affectionately.

"I know I broke my promise to you earlier, but I assure you that I'll never let anything happen to you, Pinky. Not even by my own doing." This confession, even Brain would admit, was one hundred percent true—or at least, he hoped it would be.

Within moments, the cage was filled with the sound of light snoring, and the conscious mouse continued to absentmindedly run his fingers through Pinky's fur as he stared straight ahead, lost in his thoughts. Brain's gaze landed on the flask of green liquid looming just outside their cage, and he instantly regretted even taking a sip of that horrid formula. All because of a routine scheme to take over the world, he had unknowingly gotten himself into a huge mess, which proved unfortunate and almost deadly for the mouse curled up beside him. Because of this, Brain was literally caught between carrying out his plan to take over the world, or keeping his closest friend out of harm, and wasn't sure if he should spend the rest of the night drawing out blueprints or brewing an antidote to the formula so that he never had to become that savage beast ever again.

Brain groaned. Every bone in his body was aching, especially his throbbing cranium. At the moment, the only thing he wanted to do was sleep, which would hopefully take the stress off his shoulders so that he could make a decision in the morning. Evidently, if he was sleeping he wouldn't be able to lose his temper, which was difficult for the mouse not to do when he was conscious. Eager to get the sleep that his body and mind were craving, Brain laid down, almost forgetting about Pinky until he was once again aware of the warmth around him. He nuzzled into his friend's soft fur, falling asleep to the gentle sound of his heart beating behind a broken ribcage.


	2. Chapter 2

"Haha! Narf!"

The large headed mouse rolled over in his sleep as the sound of giggling and squeaking began to jostle him from his slumber. Too comfortable in his position to want to get up, Brain only squinted his eyes back shut and cuddled into the warmth surrounding him…which wasn't there. At this acknowledgement, he opened his eyes and sat up, finding that his bed was empty besides himself…where was Pinky?

"Good morning, Brain! Zort!"

The greeting came from across the cage, and as Brain's eyes followed Pinky's voice, he realized where the giggling and squeaking had been coming from. His friend had simply been running in his wheel, nothing unusual…despite the fact that his ribcage was still broken.

"Pinky! What are you doing up and about? You're still hurt, you should be resting—" he told him, worriedly walking over to the wheel to check if he was in pain or not. However, he just continued laughing and running like it was any old morning.

"But I feel all better Brain! My bones are all fixed now!" he claimed. Though he knew it was impossible for Pinky's ribs to be completely healed, the injured mouse seemed to be moving around just fine, which relieved him. He had the gene splicer to thank for that, for unlike normal mice, both males had always had the ability to heal up quickly—having been crushed, burnt, jostled, stepped on, an even blown to bits night after night, only to be feeling just like their old selves in time for their next big scheme.

"Well, your bones are probably still fragile, you shouldn't strain them." he told Pinky, stopping the wheel with his paw. "Now go do something quietly while not moving too much, I need to work on something."

"Hmm, what is it Brain, the blueprints for our plan so that we can stop Big Ben and take over the world?" Pinky asked as he stepped out of the wheel.

Brain's ears drooped. Having some time to think it over last night, he came to the most logical decision—which would be the safest on Pinky's part. "Not exactly. I'm going to design an antidote to reverse the effects of the potion."

Pinky gasped. "But, if you turn yourself back to normal, how will we stop the big clock from ticking and tocking? How will we take over the world?" he asked as he loomed over the shorter mouse, resting his arms on his big head.

Amused by Pinky's enthusiasm, but still sticking to his decision, Brain gently removed Pinky's arms from his head and turned to face him. "We'll have to take over the world some other way. I'm not risking you getting hurt again just for some stupid plot!"

"But…but…"

"I don't want to hear another word about it Pinky!"

Surprisingly, instead of loyally agreeing with his friend's decision and asking him what they were going to do that night, the slimmer mouse folded his arms and scowled at Brain's unwillingness. "Those are the words of a quitter, mister! The Brain I know isn't a stinky, stupid quitter!"

Bewildered that Pinky was still so hung on them completing this scheme, Brain raised an eyebrow at his friend's sudden determination. "I'm not quitting," he explained. "I'm simply not using this particular plan. I can think up something else in time for tonight."

Pinky sighed, and for once actually looked like he was frustrated over something deeper than his usual nonsensical grievances, like not being able to lick his elbow, or missing one of his favorite shows on TV. "I'm just upset that you're quitting because of me. Poit! I feel like it's my fault that you don't want to do this one…"

"It's not your fault…" Brain trailed off, giving his cagemate an odd look. He had no idea Pinky could actually be pondering something so…deep, compared to what he was usually pondering. "What on Earth makes you think that?"

"Well, it's because I'm all broken and that's getting in the way of everything." he said sadly.

"I'm just looking out for you. I've already hurt you enough, I couldn't possibly put you in such danger again just for the sake of some stupid scheme." Brain told him, hoping to silence his discontentment, but Pinky only pouted.

"But I'm all better now Brain, I wouldn't get hurt! And I promise I won't make you mad at all, then you won't have to turn into that big ugly monster!" he begged. "Oh please can we do it Brain? Please, please, _please_?"

Usually Brain could easily avoid such incessant pleading by bopping the other mouse firmly over the head and moving on, but he was trying hard not to become even slightly irritated, and therefore couldn't bring himself to hit Pinky. He did consider what he was saying, though. It was true, Pinky's health had improved greatly since the previous night, and moving around didn't seem to be causing him much pain, so getting to Big Ben wouldn't be a problem if they did choose to carry out their plan. Still, he wouldn't be able to control himself in his beastly state, which was crucial for their plan to work. He stared into Pinky's pleading eyes, and didn't want his friend to feel bad because he was the cause of them not taking over the world, either.

Finally making a decision, which he knew deep down he would regret later, Brain gave in to Pinky's request. "Alright, alright. We'll go to Big Ben."

"Oh yay!" Pinky cried enthusiastically, prancing around Brain, but lacking his usual gusto as he struggled to make as little movement as possible, wary of his broken bones. "Oh I just know this plan is going to work, Brain! I can just feel it! We'll surely take over the world this time, won't we? Narf!"

"Yes, yes." Brain dismissively agreed, waving his companion away. "Just go do something else to occupy yourself, I still need to draw out some blueprints of Big Ben so that we'll be able to navigate properly throughout the clock tower." He paused for a moment, turning towards Pinky and grabbing his snout like he always did when he wanted the taller mouse's full attention. "And whatever you do, _don't_ make me angry!"

"Mhmm!" Pinky mumbled in response, and Brain released his nose and turned to the other side of the cage to sketch out his blueprints.

While Brain was working, Pinky subsided himself to the other side of the cage quietly, extra careful not to make any noises that would disturb his temperamental companion. Just thinking about what Brain would do to him if he got on his nerves again sent horrifying flashbacks of the day before racing through Pinky's feeble mind, and the recollection made his ribs ache again. For the first time in his short life, he had actually been _terrified_ of his own best friend, and he certainly disliked the feeling. He hated the feeling of not being able to trust Brain, it made him feel bad, since Brain was always such a loyal friend to him. Except when he was that monster…

Pinky sighed as he began to sadden himself with his own thoughts. Brain told him that he would never hurt him, he _promised_, yet ever since he swallowed Dr. Jekyll's formula, he had broken that promise. Even though he had no control over himself and he obviously didn't intend to hurt Pinky, the taller mouse still felt betrayed deep down, and was having doubts that Brain would be able to control himself if they carried out this scheme.

Despite these depressing thoughts, the majority of Pinky's instincts were telling him to stop worrying about such things that Brain would call 'preposterous'. Of course he could trust him, he was his best friend! He was the one that Pinky respected and looked up to no matter what, and he clearly still cared about him, why else would he have fixed his broken bones? Dismissing any doubtful thoughts towards his companion, Pinky smiled, and hopped back in his wheel, running to his heart's content as he imagined what it would be like once he and Brain succeeded at taking over the world.

By late afternoon, Brain had completed his intricate blueprints of Big Ben, and had gone over his plan multiple times, making sure every last detail was covered. He had to make sure that he considered every aspect in case anything went wrong, and made adjustments so that they could get to the large clock tower in the quickest, most efficient way possible. Once he was sure he'd taken all the precautions necessary to make sure him and Pinky would get there safely, without him getting angry on the way, Brain glanced out the window at Big Ben in the distance, noticing that it was nearly 3:00. That still gave the mice an hour to get there and wind their way up through the gears of the clock—which would be more than enough time.

"Pinky!" he called, rolling up his blueprints and preparing for their trip. He'd noticed that Pinky had been extra quiet the entire time he was drawing out his plans, which was a pleasant surprised, but raised some suspicion. However, Pinky scampered over at the sound of his name, seeming giddy and hyper as usual.

"What have you been doing this whole time?" Brain asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Running around on my wheel and daydreaming about happy things, zort!" Pinky told him, smiling from ear to ear as his tail swished back and forth.

"Well, thank you for being quiet like I asked, for once in your life." Brain praised him. "Are you all set to go?"

"Yep!"

"Let me just go over the plan once more." the large headed mouse insisted, considering it typically took multiple explanations for Pinky to understand any of his schemes, and even then he rarely followed instructions correctly. He unrolled the blueprint and proceeded to explain. "We will take the shortest route through the city towards Big Ben, and once we approach the building, we'll have to slip by the guards to get inside the tower."

"Zounds Brain, we won't need to slip by the guards if you just turn into that big hideous monster and clobber them!" Pinky exclaimed, to which Brain let out a stern grumble of disproval, fighting the urge to bop him.

"No Pinky, I'm not allowing myself to undergo that transformation again until absolutely necessary!" he told him, continuing his explanation. "Once inside, we'll work our way up through the gears," Brain gestured to his blueprints at the x-ray view of Big Ben he'd sketched out. "When we get to the top, we'll find the largest of all the gears, which is the main mechanism that keeps the clock working. Then, you'll get me angry so that I can stop the gears momentarily, while you dislodge the pallet, stopping the clock entirely. We'll have to do this at the precise moment that the clock strikes 4:00, rendering all of England trapped in eternal tea time!"

"Naaaaarf." Pinky said in awe, clapping his hands together and grinning.

"Just promise me something Pinky." Brain said, his ears drooping behind his head as he spoke. "As soon as I begin to transform into that creature again, make sure to stay as far away from me as possible. Understood? There's no telling what I'd do to you if I caught you in that state again…"

"Understood." he replied, trying to maintain the joyfulness in his voice, but he involuntarily clutched his ribcage and frowned slightly at the painful memory.

When Brain was finished explaining his plan, both males cracked open the window and exited Dr. Jekyll's home, climbing down to the ground on a rope hanging from the windowsill. From there, they scurried along the cobblestone roads of 18th century England, making haste with their time as they began to scale the ladder of a building. At the top of the latter, many clothes lines were hanging from window to window in the short gap between two buildings, and the hanging rope proved to be an ideal way to get across for the small mice. However, half way across the clothes line, Pinky paused in his tracks when he caught sight of the large clock tower looming over the rest of the city. The breathtaking view was complete with puffy grey clouds over a bright, colorful early-evening sky, which was tinted with orange as the sun just began to set. The taller mouse couldn't help himself, he just had to stop in his tracks and take in the magical view, staring up at the sky with his admiring bright blue eyes.

"Oh look how pretty the clock looks from here, Brain!"

"Pinky, keep moving! We haven't much time!" Brain scolded him, yet his companion refused to budge.

"The clouds, the sky!" Pinky swayed dreamily as he stared up at it.

"Pinky!" Brain could feel himself beginning to well with anger again, and struggled to push down the bubbly, tingly feeling of the formula working through his system. He couldn't get frustrated with Pinky here, not now!

"Look! That cloud looks like a big pomegranate!" he pointed out.

Suddenly, Brain was shaking from head to tail, and the rope beneath their feet was beginning to rock back and forth as he trembled. "Pinky, you're making me angry!" he said, more to warn Pinky than to scold him. However, it was too late, as Brain had already begun to contort and contract, and the rope was dipping lower and lower at the extra weight as the mouse grew. The line eventually snapped under pressure, sending both mouse and beast tumbling through the air, along with a shower of falling clothing articles.

Despite falling and flailing helplessly through the air, Brain still managed to lock his red, bulging eyes on Pinky, and grab him in his large meaty paws in mid-air. The small mouse let out a shriek of pain as his fragile, still-healing bones began to snap again, but he managed to shout "Sorry!" before both of them hit the ground. In an instant, Brain shrunk back to his normal size, just in time to land head first down on the pavement with back-breaking velocity.

His own crumpled body was the least of his worries though, and Brain immediately picked himself up and looked around for Pinky. He'd gotten his hands on him again as that monster, had he injured him? Hurt his ribcage again? Done some other serious damage? Or had Pinky splattered against the ground at the impact? As the early stages of panic were setting in, Brain's ears perked up when he heard rusting nearby, and his eyes landed on a stack of hay, which had conveniently broken Pinky's fall at the last second.

"Pinky!" Brain cried out as his friend climbed down from the hay pile. "Are you okay?"

"Narf! I'm just dandy, Brain!" he replied cheerfully. "My chest hurts a bit though…" he admitted, clawing at the gauze around his torso, which was beginning to peel off. Brain gently readjusted the bandages and sighed regretfully.

"I'm sorry Pinky, I didn't mean to—"

"Shhh Brain, it's fine, I didn't get hurt." he interrupted, but before Brain had a chance to say anything else, Pinky suddenly pointed to something up ahead—their destination was just meters away!

"Come on, let's go stop that clock! Poit!" he shouted gleefully to the heavens as he started galloping on all fours towards the clock tower, but ceased abruptly and collapsed onto his belly, yelping in pain. Brain hurried to his side, worry in his pinkish eyes as he observed his injured friend.

"Are you sure you're alright? You look like you can barely walk…" Brain pointed out, helping Pinky to his feet again.

"Narf…I'll be alright." he assured, though he was still wincing a bit when Brain came into contact with his acing midsection.

Though he highly doubted Pinky was as 'alright' as he claimed, Big Ben was almost in their reach, and so was the world! Surely he could make it to their destination without sustaining any more injury, and one look at the clock told Brain that they were running out of time quickly. "Come on," he told Pinky, grabbing his arm and leading his way. "We're almost there! Time is of the essence!"

Sure enough, there were two British guards positioned on either side of the entrance to the clock tower, but the mice had no need to worry—they could slip by them easily. Brain clasped a hand over Pinky's mouth to subdue his quiet whimpering as they neared the door, and both males successfully tiptoed past the guard, literally right under their noses. Brain squeezed under the door with ease, save his head, which took some pushing on Pinky's part to get under the slim crack underneath the doorway. The large headed mouse needed to assist Pinky in crawling underneath too, making sure he didn't jostle his broken ribs much, and the both of them eventually made it inside.

Inside of Great Britain's icon and most famous monument was everything you'd find in an everyday grandfather clock—an assortment of gears, chimes and other machinery moving in a rhythmic pattern to keep the large clock ticking. However, being many stories high, it would take the duo some time to make their way to the very top of the clock to the main gear, and without an elevator, they would have to use the moving, turning, and cranking mechanisms to their advantage. The trip was slow going considering Pinky's condition, and Brain had to assist him in getting around a few obstacles on the way to the top, but eventually they made it—just minutes before the clock was about to strike four.

"There it is Pinky…" Brain gawked as his eyes landed on the largest of the turning metal parts in the entire clock tower—the main piece that kept everything turning and working correctly. "The main gear! When we stop this, we stop the world!" he exclaimed, with a passionate gleam in his eyes as he watched his destiny tick by on the hands of the clock.

Then he turned to Pinky, who was still clutching his chest tightly and breathing heavily from the long climb up there. Just one look at his injured friend changed Brain's perspective on everything entirely—would it really be worth it? After hurting him so much already, and nearly tearing apart the bonds of trust that still remained between them, could he really put his friend in such a dangerous position again? It would surely be beneficial, it was his key to ruling the world, but what if it all went wrong…

"Poit! Are you ready to carry out your plan now, Brain?" the taller mouse asked, breaking Brain from his thoughts.

Well, they had already come this far in their plan, why stop now because of his irrational suppositions? Of course Pinky would be alright, he always is! "Of course, the plan." Brain repeated, crawling in between the main gears and assuming his position. "Alright now…make me angry." he ordered, almost unable to utter the words, bearing in mind how many bad things they had led to in the past few days.

"I…u-um…" Pinky stammered, shuffling his feet sheepishly.

"Out with it Pinky, make me mad!"

"But…I don't wanna…" the slimmer mouse said, backing up slightly.

Astounded by his lack of cooperation, Brain scowled at Pinky. They were just seconds away from taking over the world, how dare he choose now of all times to back down, when just moments before he seemed so eager to help Brain fulfill his dream? "I don't have the time or the patience for this! Make me angry this instant!"

"But you're—I mean that big scary monster side of you is going to hurt me! Poit…you said you wouldn't let that happen…" he said, wringing his tail betwixt his hands uncomfortably.

"I won't! As long as you stay away from me I'm not going to cause you any more harm! But so help me, I will cause you some serious head trauma if you don't do as I say!" Brain was hardly aware that his voice had escalated to yelling, or that the tingly, twitchy feeling had already sent tremors up and down his body in the midst of his rantings. By refusing to make him mad, Pinky had unwillingly tested his friend's temper, and triggered a reaction that would cost him dearly.

After some contorting, wheezing, expanding and distorting, The Brain was no longer present—only a terrifying green monster stood in his place. Somewhere in his abnormally large head, Brain was having an eternal debate with his stronger, more violent self as he struggled for control.

_The gears Brain! Stop the gears so you can stop the clock! _He told himself, to no avail, because his intellect was quickly depleting. _Stop the gears so Pinky can dislodge the pallet! _

As soon as the thought of the other mouse ran through his enormous green head, the monster's instincts has assumed full control. In an instant, Brain forgot about everything, the gears, the clock, the plan, the world—and focused on the helpless white mouse, who was already making a feeble run for the exit. The urge to kill overcame him, and he untangled himself from between the large gears, chasing after the helpless rodent as he fantasized about Pinky's blood dripping from the remains of his shattered body once he was through with him!

"Brain, I'm—" the slimmer mouse had started to say in a desperate plea to reverse the effects and save his own life, but Brain had already scooped him up—cutting short his apology as he squeezed him tightly in a death grip.

Pinky felt as if his organs were going to burst, and he already felt the familiar pain of his ribs cracking again under the pressure, but the beast wasn't anywhere near done with him. He reeled his muscular arm back and hurled Pinky against the wall with enough force to catapult a bowling ball all the way across a football field. Feeling even more broken, the mouse slid to the floor in agony, unable to make an effort to escape—or move, for that matter. Picking him up again, Brain displayed that familiar, malicious grin, and threw Pinky again, headfirst into some turning gears this time. As the metal pieces turned into each other, the rodent's body was crushed, and he began to feel all sloshy and discombobulated inside. Brain plucked him out before he could be sucked into the clock's mechanisms, and dropped him to the floor, letting him lie there in suffering for a while. He was surely enjoying the mouse's suffering!

After so much unimaginable pain, Pinky was actually beginning to lose feeling in his limbs, while the inside of his body was burning. After being tossed around so much, he was suffering many more fractures and broken bones than he'd ever experienced in his life, and even some internal bleeding. A trail of blood trickled from the corner of his mouth and onto the floor, which confused Pinky as he stared at it—he knew that blood meant he had a cut, but he had never sustained a cut on the _inside _before! All around, his body ached, especially his chest and his head, but eventually those feelings were beginning to fade too, as if his body was shutting down. Pretty soon his heart was pounding in his ears as it struggled to keep itself beating, and the last thing Pinky saw before his eyelids closed was a large green foot coming down on his head.

Oddly enough, he had enough energy left in him to scream at the oncoming threat, but was still unable to avoid it, and as one last jolt of pain stung in his head as his skull caved in under pressure, everything went dark.

Brain was unable to stop his foot from coming down on Pinky's small body, for the adrenaline rush was too strong for him to resist. However, the piercing cry the mouse had let out on his final breath had triggered something in his head.

_Pinky._

Lifting his foot and gazing down at the crumpled ball of white fur, his primitive mind was able to recognize the shrill cry, not as the mouse who he desired to kill—but as his friend. Something about this sudden realization was able to break through the barbaric stupidity of the beast that had overcome his rational thought, and bring Brain to his senses. Pinky, it was Pinky that he had just deliberately crushed! Out of nowhere, the mutated mouse was feeling another tingling sensation. He gagged and wheezed for a moment, before shrinking down to ordinary size, regaining the normal color to his fur, and landing on the floor—painfully.

When he was out of his daze, Brain found himself to be his old self again, which didn't make any logical sense. He had tested it before, he could only transform back when Pinky apologized, which was impossible, since Pinky was…

"Oh no…" he said aloud as he glanced over at the lifeless body in front of him.

Brain couldn't move. His legs felt like they were made of lead, and the only two parts of his body that were moving were his tail twitching nervously back and forth and his heart beating at an accelerated rate. Despite these tendencies holding him back, the mouse was able to overcome them and scurry over to his fallen friend, although he regretted it as soon as he got a closer look.

The rambunctious little mouse had never seemed so motionless in his life. He was sprawled out on his belly, and all of his limbs were twisted at unnatural angles—obviously broken. There was a large split in his head from when the beast's foot came down on it, which had formed a puddle of blood underneath him, staining his snowy white fur. The most upsetting thing about Pinky's appearance was the fact that his chest wasn't rising and falling at a consistent rate…was he breathing at all? Brain tilted his large head and put an ear to his friend's heart, and listened expectantly, but heard nothing. Desperate for some signs of life, he grabbed a limp paw and took his pulse. Still nothing. Even though all of these signs could only lead to one logical answer, which was burning in the back of Brain's mind, he pushed it back, unwilling to believe what his rational thoughts had to say! Again, he checked his heartbeat and his pulse. And again, and again. Soon, the mouse was aware of his cheeks becoming damp as tears began to pour, and he stopped everything he was doing, unable to continue due to his overflowing emotions.

"Pinky?" he called, nudging the limp body, hoping to wake him from his eternal slumber.

"Pinky answer me!"

No matter how much Brain called out to his friend or shook his motionless body, he obviously wasn't going to wake up, and soon the distraught mouse was unable to speak as faint sobs overcame him. Brain collapsed to the floor and buried his face into Pinky's fur, adding tears to his blood stained coat. Memories flooded his head of his hyperactive companion—running about without a care in the world, blue eyes gleaming, tail wagging—who was now lifeless and still beneath him.

_How could I…?_ he thought. _How could I have done this to Pinky when I knew it was going to have a horrible outcome? I gambled with my best friend's life, and for what…the world? _Truthfully, the world meant absolutely nothing to him if it meant losing Pinky, he just wished he would have realized it earlier. Now it was far too late, for the rambunctious mouse's heart had ceased beating, and Brain's world came crashing down on top of him. _It's all my fault, my stupid ambitions got him killed…_

However, Brain was unable to become furious with himself. He was, deep down, but knew that if he let his rage escalate, he'd just allow himself to turn right back into the beast that caused this whole mess. So he lay silent aside from his weeping, barely aware of the clicking and clacking of the turning gears around him. Moments later, the entire clock tower rung loudly with the sounds of gongs and chimes as the clock struck four. Their plan to take over the world had failed, but for once, Brain couldn't care less.

"Brain?"

The large headed lab mouse thought he heard his name being called from a distance, but could hardly tell. His entire body ached with exhaustion, and the fur around his face was damp. He soon realized that he had broken out in a cold sweat, and shivered as he curled up into a ball, desperate for warmth.

"Brain! Wakey wakey!"

Brain was aware of warm hands on his shoulders as his body rocked back and forth. Someone was definitely calling his name—and shaking him. Finally, he squirmed slightly in his sleep, pushing himself upright and rubbing his eyes. Where was he? How long had he been asleep? When he was finally able to open his large pinkish eyes, he found a pair of blue ones staring back at him.

Suddenly, he recalled everything that had happened. Swallowing Dr. Jekyll's formula, the plan he concocted, turning into that horrifying green monster, Pinky's broken ribcage, their trek to the bell tower, and…flattening his best friend to death! However, the memories weren't as lucid as they should have been, and as he pulled into consciousness, they were beginning to fade away.

"Poit! You look sort of pale, Brain…" the other mouse pointed out, despite the fact that he couldn't possibly look any whiter than he already was.

"Pinky…" Brain said to himself as he focused on the slimmer mouse before him. He was…alive? Yes! He was alright, right there in front of him, and as healthy as ever! Brain didn't know how, but frankly didn't care, as a wave of emotions suddenly came over him. Without thinking for a second or pushing back the childish thought, the large headed mouse found himself throwing his arms around his companion, tears streaming from his eyes as he nuzzled into his chest. The gauze around his ribcage surprisingly wasn't there.

Pinky was confused that Brain was the one to spontaneously embrace _him_ for once, but didn't question it, since he just adored the attention. He wrapped his arms around his friend, but wiped the smile from his face when he realized that Brain was shaking…and crying. He remembered his companion was fidgeting and whimpering slightly in his sleep, too, which was unlike him. He had even broke out in a sweat and screamed, which was why Pinky decided to wake him up, figuring he must have been having a terrifying nightmare.

"It's alright, Brain." Pinky reassured him, stroking his back in an attempt to silence Brain's sudden weeping. "It was just a dream!"

At the word 'dream', Brain opened his eyes, ceasing his emotional breakdown. A dream? He had only been having a nightmare…which means none of that had really happened! Deciding to test his theory, he abruptly pulled away from Pinky and ran to the side of their cage, clutching the bars as he looked out at what he was hoping to see.

"Hey, that's the brute, take him!" one of the British police officers ordered his colleagues as they proceeded to seize the bumbling green monster known as Mr. Hyde. They battled and struggled to keep the monster at bay, but after much fighting, scraping, scratching, and a short tea time break, the officers were eventually able to catch the creature. As Dr. Jekyll was carried off to prison, Brain turned his glance towards the flask of liquid that had transformed him into such a raving monster. If Mr. Hyde had just been arrested, that means the mouse hadn't taken a sip of the formula yet. None of the events in his dream had actually taken place after all!

As he pondered this, Brain suddenly became disgusted with himself. Even if it were only a sequence of involuntary images in his sleep that he had no control over, he still couldn't believe that he would have such selfish thoughts! In reality, he would have never dared to choose the world over his best friend, it was simply unacceptable! Then again…perhaps the dream was a warning? Was he supposed to learn from its meaning just to make sure nothing like that would ever occur? Brain shook his head at his own thoughts, deciding it needed no further interpretations. It was only an unintelligent, implausible nightmare, and he had more important things to dwell on.

"So what's the big plan for tonight, Brain?" the other mouse asked. Brain turned to find him rocking back and forth, hanging onto his toes with his hands and giggling merrily. Unusually pleased just by watching Pinky's inane stupidity, Brain felt himself at a loss to answer his question. He already had a plan, but he wouldn't dare attempt it after such a horrible outcome in his nightmare.

Glancing back at the flask of green liquid, and once more back to Pinky, the large headed genius sighed, unable to come up with any other ideas. "Actually Pinky, how about you and I take the night off? The world will still be here to conquer tomorrow, we deserve a break." he finally announced, clasping his hands behind his back as he waited for his companion's response.

"We're not taking over the world? Zort! But Brain, what will we do?" Pinky asked.

"Well, what do you want to do?"

The taller mouse contemplated Brain's question for a few moments, then glanced outside at the beautiful early evening sky at Big Ben. It was just past 4:00, which gave Pinky an idea! "I know!" he said, scampering to the other side of the cage and rummaging around for something. He returned with a small tin to use as a table, and two thimbles filled with sweet, steaming hot tea. "Tea time!"

Though Brain usually never enjoyed Pinky's favorite activities, this one was actually quite relaxing and quiet by his standards. Flashing his friend a genuine smile, Brain sat down and sipped his tea, feeling his entire body grow warmer as it rejuvenated his senses. He didn't need a plot to take over the Earth to make him happy, when he was perfectly content as long as Pinky was there by his side.

* * *

**Hahaha, tricked you there, didn't I? XD I couldn't bear to kill off poor Pinky at the end, so I made the cliche ending of 'it was all just a dream'. I don't really like how the ending turned out, but overall I got the idea out of my head, so I guess I'm proud of it. Hope you liked it!**


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